Wellington.Scoop
Thunder, lightning and hail hit Wellington soon after 2pm today. The only damage was to Kilbirnie’s Zephyrometer, which seemed to be damaged after it was hit by a lightning strike.

Twitter photo from Zoe Tester – lightning over Wellington

There seemed to have been only one burst of lightning, but maybe there were more.

Hail lay briefly on the ground in the CBD and in many suburbs …

Photo: Lindsay Shelton

… including Brooklyn. People were taken by surprise when the weather changed so rapidly, with the temperature dropping to below 5 degrees.

Tonight’s forecast is for cold southerwesterlies.

Presented to the city in 2003, the Zephyrometer sculpture – 33 metres high – is a kinetic work by Phil Price. The mast-like structure marks out the strength and direction of the prevailing wind with an elegant swaying motion. The shape, construction and movements of the sculpture are reflective of the site next to the Evans Bay Marina.